No Stride Drill

This soft toss drill has three purposes:

1. Insure perfect timing
2. Eliminate stride portion of swing to allow hitter to focus on swing
3. Achieve good contact with ball

Set-up and drill

• Player assumes normal stance.
• Wheeler Dealer is placed slightly in front of hitters from leg, and pointed towards front thigh.
• Player takes normal stride and stops.
• Hitter remains in this position for entire drill. Do not take another stride.
• Set Wheeler Dealer height setting to be thigh high for front thigh of hitter. Adjust toss frequency.
• Player takes normal swing (without stride), focusing on swing mechanics and solid contact.
• When solid contact is made consistently, toss frequency can be increased.

Using the Wheeler Dealer to do the soft toss, provides consistency and gives the coach time to watch and help with proper swing techniques.

Double Play Drill

This drill's purpose is to DECREASE the time of turning the double play by both getting the ball out of the glove quicker, and perfecting the timing between the two players.

The Wheeler Dealer is set in front of either the shortstop or second baseman and a catch net set at first base. (The drill can also be performed by one player alone, fielding then tossing the ball to an imaginary second player).

As in some of the above drills, the toss interval is decreased in proportion to the degree of proficiency obtained.

Catcher's Bunt Drill

The purpose of this drill is to both develop a quicker response to the bunt and the quick leg muscles to pounce on it.

• A catch net is stationed at first base and a loaded Wheeler Dealer is placed in a location to duplicate the direction and distance of the bunt desired.
• The catcher's crouch is assumed in the catchers' box.
• When the Wheeler Dealer launches the ball, the catcher charges it, turns and throws into the catch net at first base. He or she then hurries back into the catchers' box, awaiting the next launch.
• This is repeated until the machine is empty.

Initially, the toss is set at its slowest rate, but as the student becomes more conditioned, the time rate is decreased.